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Current Sightings
Sighting October 23, 2009
ACADIAN FLYCATCHER
Deep Cove at Grand Manan Island
Sighting October 23, 2009
Yellow-throated Warbler
Light House at Grand Manan Island
Sighting May 1, 2009
TRICOLORED HERON
The original location is in the pond and creek
adjacent to the beach parking lot at Parlee Beach Prov. Park in Shediac.
Turn onto Gould Beach Road beside the Belliveau's Convenience Store and
Shell gas station on Route 133 on the east side of Shediac. At the stop
sign at the end of Gould Beach Road turn right and drive through the open
gate and continue on to the parking lot. The pond
is on your left while the creek is just ahead behind the restaurant. The
heron may well return there later in the day.
Sighting November 15, 2008
EURASIAN COLLARED DOVE [Tourterelle turque]
At 7:45 a.m. today, John Inman saw a dove that
caught his eye as different from the several Mourning Doves in his yard.
Studying it,
he realized that it was a EURASIAN COLLARED DOVE [Tourterelle turque].
After getting some photos, he phoned me. I went over and confirmed the
identification from his photos and then observed the dove in the tall
poplar trees west of his house.
The light is not great here this foggy morning, but the Collared Dove can
be distinguished from the Mourning Doves present by it larger, chunkier
size, paler coloration and broad-tipped rather than pointed tail. The dark
collar was harder to see under these conditions.
Distinguishing it from an escaped captive of the domesticated dove known
as Ringed Turtle Dove or Barbary Dove were considerable contrast between
the wing tip and the wing coverts, gray undertail coverts and more
extensive black visible on the underside of the tail. It has not been
calling.
This is the first report I've heard of in New Brunswick of this species
that has become established in North America over the past 25
years, following the appearance in southern Florida of birds from the
Bahamas, where escaped captives had begun breeding. Euarasian
Collared Doves have wandered north into Canada a number of times, but more
in the centre of the continent than towards the northeast. However, there
have been a few occurrences in Quebec and New England.
John Inman lives at 225 Mary's Point Road in Harvey, Albert County. To
minimize traffic congestion, visitors should all park on the same side of
the road, the side towards John's house. John's feeders (and the poplars)
are visible from along the road and from his parking area.
Sighting November 13, 2008
CAVE SWALLOWS [Hirondelle à front brun]
I just spoke with Louis-Emille Cormier who lives
near Cocagne. He and Donald Pellerin made a trip to Boisetown today and
were successful in seeing the SUMMER TANAGER that has been there for a few
days. On their way back to Cocagne late this afternoon they spotted a
swallow flying around an abandoned house near Cormierville, a few
kilometers north of Cocagne along coastal route 535. They stopped to
investigate and eventually found 4 swallows flying around the house and
flying up under the verandah. The swallows may well have been searching
for a roosting site for the night as it was getting on toward 4:30pm.
Louis-Emille took some video of one of the birds roosting under the
verandah and is confident that it is either a CAVE or CLIFF SWALLOW, the
former seeming much more likely considering what's been going on over the
past few days. He felt that all four swallows appeared similar so it would
seem that there are four CAVE SWALLOWS roosting this evening at
Cormierville. Both Louis-Emille and I plan to check them out first thing
in the morning.
To find the location, take Route 535 off Route 134 at Cocagne (keep in
mind that the Cocagne bridge on Route 134 is closed) and drive for
approximately 6 or 6.5 kilometers until you come to a bridge on Route 535,
this being opposite Treasure Island (a small treed island with cottages
connected to the mainland by a narrow causeway). Watch for the swallows
around the first house on the left after crossing the bridge. The bridge
itself may also be suitable roosting site.
Sighting October 31, 2008
David Christie just phoned to say that John Inman
saw the AMERICAN AVOCET [Avocette d'Amerique] again this morning from his
window. The bird was once again feeding along the Shepody River. By the
time David arrived (and Merv Cormier is there too) the bird was not
visible but they feel it must be feeding in one of the tributaries
downstream from the Shepody Dam.
Dave says the tide is rising and should crest about 2:30 PM. The rising
water should force the Avocet to move around, so they expect it may be
more easily observed during the next couple of hours.
Sighting May 9, 2008
Today at 11 A.M. Pat Martin and Barb Curlew
saw a long-tailed flycatcher fly the bluff at Dennis Beach. It
was moving east. Seen again at Long Marsh Lane. It kept moving
easterly and was last seen in a spruce tree across the road from 1866
Route 915 (close to the exit to Long Marsh Lane.
This bird is an adult male in full colour. It has the full tail and
pinky
salmon sides and under wings.
Sighting January 27, 2008
TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE [Solitaire de Townsend]
A very pleasant surprise visitor to Hank and Carolyn Scarth's urban yard
on Sunday afternoon when a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE [Solitaire de Townsend]
came to the yard to glean a few berries left clinging on a shrub.
They did
put out berries after seeing it but did not see it later. However it is
obvious that it is cruising the area. They live at 76 Erinvale
Drive,
which is off the Shediac Road near the Stirling apple location. Hank
was
able to get 2 photos from the window. Take a look at them at
http://www.naturemoncton.org
under "Hotshots". Hank and Carolyn's home
number is 861-0992.
Sighting November 20, 2007
A SCISSOR-TAILED FLYCATCHER [Tyran à longue queue]
Spotted at Fundy National Park around the Visitors'
Centre and another nearby building and also in the area of the Visitors'
Area Campground on Tuesday. This is a juvenile bird; so it does not
have the very long tail-feathers of the adults however it is unmistakable
when spotted. Daniel Mazerolle first put the alert on Tuesday.
For up-to-date information, Daniel Mazerolle can be reached at Fundy
National Park at 887-6112.
Sighting November 17, 2007
BREWER'S BLACKBIRD [Quiscale de Brewer]
Located on Miscou Island. This is only the second
confirmed record for New Brunswick. Three birders (Denise
Godin, Rosita Lanteigne and Jollande St-Pierre) from Caraquet spotted it
on Monday and it was observed again on Tuesday. It is coming to
feeders at #19 Ward Road, across the bridge onto Miscou Island travel
another 12.5 km and Ward Road turns off Route #113 at that point.
#19 Ward Road is right at the intersection and the bird has also been seen
at a farm just down Ward Road. It has been traveling with EUROPEAN
STARLINGS [Étourneau sansonnet] as well. Frank Branch got some
great photo-images that are posted on the internet. This bird was
first seen on November 17th and confirmed on November 19th and 20th.
Sighting October 25, 2007
GRASSHOPPER SPARROW [Bruant sauterelle]
Several folk were able to get good observations of a
GRASSHOPPER SPARROW [Bruant sauterelle] located by Jim Wilson at Fundy NP
on Thursday. The bird was located just off to the left in a little
overgrown field when making the turn into the swimming pool. At
times it was very cooperative for this secretive sparrow species by going
up into alders along the brook, perching for short periods.
Sighting September 24, 2007
GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER (Paruline a ailes dorees)
Gilles Belliveau and Merv Cormier found a female
GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER (Paruline a ailes dorees) along the road to
Black Beach, near Saint John. The bird was along the main gravel road,
just about 30 meters before the second side road on the left after you
pass by the Colson Cove Generating Station. This would be just before the
crest of the hill and I would estimate about .75 of a kilometer from the
start of the gravel road (perhaps a bit more).
To get to the Black Beach Road, turn off Route 1, west of Saint John
and take exit 112 to Lorneville. Turn south toward Lorneville and proceed
straight toward the generating station, which is about six kilometers. As
you continue straight along the road you will see the tall stack of the
station long before you arrive. As you approach the generating station
continue straight and take the only gravel road, which leads eventually to
Black Beach. The warbler should be another .75 kilometer or so along this
road, as described above.
Sighting September 19, 2007
GREEN HERON [Héron vert]
Norm and Gisèle Belliveau, Rose-Alma Mallet and Stuart
Tingley found a immature GREEN HERON around 10:15am, feeding among ducks
and shorebirds on the open flats of the recently-drained Grey Brook Marsh
located on Golf Club Road on the south side of Hillsborough, Albert
County. They watched the heron for about 45 minutes as it hunted the small
remaining shallow pools near the southeast corner of the marsh, straight
out from the parking area and close to the water control structure
(despite some very noisy maintenance work being carried out on that
structure).
The heron could easily be overlooked as it stood among the hundreds of
teal, pintails and yellowlegs that were feeding in the same area so be
patient if you go looking for it and don't spot it right away. Be sure to
bring a 'scope!
Sighting September 9, 2007
WESTERN KINGBIRD [Tyran de l'Ouest]
Norm Belliveau phoned me to say that he and others
discovered a
WESTERN KINGBIRD [Tyran de l'Ouest] at the sewage lagoon in
Hillsborough. The lagoon is located behind the Irving station,
between an apartment building and the river. They observed it from
the area of the apartment building about 1:30 p.m., today, Sunday.
Sighting September 3, 2007
BLACK VULTURE [Urubu noir]
Gilles and Norm and Gisele Belliveau, Stu Tingley,
Rose-Alma Mallet and Dona and Dorca Pellerin spotted a BLACK VULTURE [Urubu
noir] on Monday afternoon circling a wooded area on the Johnston's Point
Road off Route 955 in the Shemogue area. They spotted it in the area
where the Johnston's Point Road pavement ends and the gravelled portion
begins.
Sighting September 2, 2007
SEASIDE SPARROW (Bruant maritime)
Stu Tingley just phoned to say that Merv Cormier has
discovered a SEASIDE
SPARROW (Bruant maritime) on the rocks at the wharf in Lorneville - the
same
location where he found a Say's Phoebe last week. Stu and others went to
the
wharf with Merv and he was able to show them the bird. I don't know if the
sparrow is an adult or immature, or whether it remained in the area during
the entire time they were there, but I doubt it went far.
Here are the directions I sent for the Say's Phoebe. Conveniently, they
apply in this case as well.
Turn off Route 1, west of Saint John and take exit 112 to Lorneville.
Turn
south toward Lorneville and Black Beach. About 1.5 kilometres down the
road
turn left toward the community of Lorneville. Proceed exactly 3.0 km to
Point Road, turn left on Point Road and proceed 1.2 kilometers to the end
of
the road at the wharf.
Sighting August 27, 2007
SAY'S PHOEBE [Moucherolle à ventre roux]
Turn off Route 1, west of Saint John and take exit
112 to Lorneville. Turn
south toward Lorneville and Black Beach. About 1.5 kilometres down the
road
turn left toward the community of Lorneville. Proceed exactly 3.0 km to
Point Road, turn left on Point Road and proceed 1.2 kilometers to the end
of
the road at the wharf. The bird was flycatching on the rocks and
seaweed
just at the right of the wharf and later moved further to the right and
perched at various locations within sight of the shoreline on the property
adjacent the wharf road.
Sighting June 7, 2007
ROYAL TERN [Sterne royale]
As we were entering our house at 6:25 p.m. Thursday
evening, a white
bird flying over the bay caught my attention. It seemed different
from the gulls I normally see. A quick look through binoculars made
me realize that it was a large tern with more pointed wings than a
gull and a elongated, pointed beak. I couldn't see the dark underside
of the wingtip of a Caspian Tern, the expected large tern in New
Brunswick. I grabbed my scope and got to our picture window just as
the bird disappeared to the east behind trees.
I zipped down to the beach with the scope and got decent looks at the
tern, which had turned and was flying back to the west. It had a full
black cap, yellow-orange beak slimmer than on a Caspian, black on the
underside of the wingtip was principally just a line along the
primary tips. It looked to be a ROYAL TERN [Sterne royale], a species
very seldom found here, usually blown in by a big storm. This one
seems an exception to that rule.
During the next 25 minutes, the tern travelled first one way, then
the other, feeding along the line between the muddy nearshore water
and clearer water farther out. The tide was falling (high tide had
been at 17:44). At around 6:55 p.m. I lost it as I was trying to call
a friend near enough to have a chance to see it. I suspect it may
have flown around Mary's Point to the channel between the point and
Grindstone Island. The currents there might bring food items to the
surface, but I didn't have time available to got out there to check.
Whether this bird will remain around Mary's Point, head east to
Northumberland Strait or west down the bay is a question that may be
answered in the next couple of days. I will check the bay in front of
our house around 7-8 a.m. Friday but then have to be away most of the
day.
David Christie
Sighting May 14, 2007
LECONTE'S SPARROW (Bruant Le Conte)
Yesterday Richard Blacquiere, Jim Wilson, and Caoline
and Hank Scarth reported
a LECONTE'S Sparrow.
Directions:
Travelling on Route 1 from either Sussex or Saint John, take exit 175 to
Norton. Turn right onto Route 124 and proceed 1.2 kilometers, crossing the
Kennebecasis River and coming to a stop at the intersection with Route
121.
Continue straight west on 124 toward Evandale. Proceed 1 - 2 kilometers,
then turn right onto Mercer Settlement Road and continue 4.6 kilometers to
the white Mercer Settlement Church. There is a power pole just at the
church, continue another 50 meters to the second pole, park there. The
bird
was in the field on the left. It's a weedy field with dead weeds poking
through the growing fresh grasses. The bird sings from the low bunches of
dead weeds.
It is recommended that birders might watch the field from the road with a
scope, rather
than walking all over the area and disturbing the bird. Ammodrammus
sparrows
(such as LeConte's, Grasshopper, Henslow's) are notoriously secretive and
skulky, acting and running like mice when alarmed. The best strategy might
be to stay on the road and wait for the bird to sing and show itself. This
is in the best interest of the bird would give other birders the chance to
see it too.
You should learn the song from a CD or tape before going, so you'll know
it
when you hear it. It's a very faint buzzy song that can be rather
difficult
to pinpoint and very easy to overlook. Try to triangulate the location and
then look for the bird low down in the grass. When singing it will usually
elevate itself to the top of the old tufts.
Another suggestion is to go in the morning, rather than later in the day.
Yesterday Richard heard it before 8 AM but nothing at 5:30 PM. Today Hank
and Carolyn heard it as soon as they arrived and it continued to sing
intermittently during much of the morning. But when Jean returned with me
about noon, the bird was silent and she came away
"empty-handed".
Congratulations to Richard Blacquiere, who picked up this faint song while
slowly driving through the Atlas square with his windows down yesterday
morning. A great find, only the second time (so far) for this province.
Sighting March 19, 2007
EUROPEAN GOLDFINCH (Chardonneret élégant)
Murray Watters reports seeing a EUROPEAN GOLDFINCH [Chardonneret
élégant] on March 19. It has been coming to the feeder of Mr. & Mrs.
Archie Boone, 11589 Route 105, Kilburn, Victoria Co., apparently
almost daily, since sometime around Christmas.
European Goldfinches in North America are generally believed to be
of captive origin. There is the possibility of a stray reaching here
from Europe or from the flourishing population on Bermuda, but
escaped or released cage-birds seem more likely...
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